Gang torch control



Aug. 30, '1949. w. BEGEROW 2,480,281

GANG TORCH CONTROL Filed March 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i fs - INVENTOR W01. TER BEGE'ROW ATTORNEYS Aug. 30, 1949, w. BEGEROW 2,480,281

GANG TORCH CONTROL Filed March 22, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N U 0 EW 10/ l I o 0 0/ 4 my 1 0 Ex m Q{\ INVENTOR MLTER 556E170)! BY A, {4M4 zhzzv 1w.

' ATTORNEY j iL N UNITED STATES GANG 'roRcn-conmor.

Walter Begerow, Wood-Ridge, Nf i, assignor to Air Reduction Company ln corporated, a corporation of New York -..i .1: .2. ..e.' Application March 22, 1946, Serial No. 656,230

vide a remote control system for the gases supplied to a gang of torches which makes it possible for the operator, by manipulating control switches at a control station, to control the gas supply -to the torches individually or collectively and to turn onthe different gases in a predetermined sequence either to any single torch or to all-r any selected group of the torches simultaneously.

According to the'invention the supplyof the different gases to each torch is controlled by several electro-magnetically actuated valves, such as solenoid valves, which are electrically connected to a corresponding torch control switch at the control station, so that there are as many torch control switches as there are torches in the gang. There is also a main control switch at the control station which is so connected electrically with the torch control switches and with the solenoid valves that by manipulating the switches in the manner hereinafter described the operator can either cause operation of the solenoid valves of a particular torch in predetermined sequence and thereby turn on the gases to any desired torch in the properorder, or he can cause operation in a predetermined sequence of the sets of corresponding solenoid valves of all or any selected group of the torches and thereby turn on the gases in proper order to all of the selected torches simultaneously. It the torches are welding or heating torches the gases supplied to them may be fuel-gas and oxygen and should preferably be turned on in the order named. If the torches are cutting torches the gases may be fuel-gas, preheating oxygen and cutting oxygen. In this case the fuel-gas and oxygen, preferably in the order named, should first be turned on for the preheating flames, and then at the end of the usual work-preheating period the cutting oxygen should be turned on.

A gas supply system embodying the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a gang of gas torches and the improved gas control system for them;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one of the control switches;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the panel of the cabinet at the control station which houses the control switches; and

(Girl-58:27.4)

,2 Fig. 4 is a circuitdiagram showing the electrical connections between the various switches and Q the solenoid valves. v Referring first-to Fig. 1, four gas torches are represented at 'TI,.T2, T3 and T4. In the particular system illustrated the torches are cutting torches, each being supplied with fuel-gas, such as acetylene from a. supply line I, with preheating oxygen from a supplyline 2, and with cutting .oxygen from a supply line 3. Associated with each ..torch. -there are three electro-magnetically actuated-gas valves, such as solenoid valvess The. solenoid valves for the .torch Tl are ,designated -Vl Viand Vi. Those for the torch TZ are designated V2, V2 and V2 and soon. As shown. the solenoid valve VI controls -the suppIyTof fuel-gasfrom the supply line I to ,gthe-torcl 'gll, the solenoid valve Vl controls the .-supply of .preheatingoxygen from the supply line -,2 -to. the torch--Tl,.and the. solenoid valve VI contro1 s+the supply of cutting oxygen from the supply line lto-Ithetorch .Tl. Similarly, the valves -V2 V2? anavza. associated with torch TZ control the; supply of fuel-gas, preheating 5 0 y n gand cuttingmxygen, respectively, to this torch,- an d so on. There may be any desired numberoi. torches in the gang and they may be mountednin any suitable 1 way depending upon the-work to .be performed. For instance, they may all be mounted ona torch-supporting bar ;.-Which --.is;movedby any suitable mechanism to cause the :torches to out around transversely at a number of difierentpoints depending upon which torches are'selected from the control station to do the cutting. The solenoid valves of the torches are electrically connected to switches at a-remote control station at any desired loca- ;.tion. The mechanism of the switches is housed within a cabinet at the control station. Only 40 the actuating handles 5 of the switches appear -in Fig. 1,- but it will be seen that there are four --torch-control switches designated SI, S2, S3 and .84 for-.the-solenoid-valves of. the four torches, rand an additional main control switch Sm. The

=: contacts of the switches are electrically connected .with thersolenoidvalvesof the torches by con- TdHGtOISriIl-fl cable 6 leading from the cabinet at the control station to the place where the torches -andsolenoidwalvesare located.

1 One of thecontrolswitches is shown at Fig. 2.

(It comprises several pairs of contacts, the number of pairs depending upon the number of solenoid-valves for each torch; Since there are three solenoidivalves-ior each torch in the particular as systemillustrated there "are three pairs of cono tacts associated with each switch, the pairs of contacts being designated C and C The contacts are actuated in any suitable manner to open and close them in the desired sequence. The means for actuating them may comprise a vertical cam shaft 1 which extends through the top panels of-the.ca binet 4 .wh'ere it is..connected with .theab'ove-mentioned actuating lhandlej 5. The cam shaft carries three cams 9, I0 and' H which are so shaped that when the handle 54s in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, i. el'the "off position of the switch, all of'i'the-Tcoiitacts are open. As the handlej is turnedina clockwise direction as viewedinTFig.2 from'the'foii position to position No. l, camS closes'the'firs't pair of contacts C When the handle is turned to position No. 2, the cam N losesthesec'ond' pair of contacts C and the contacts of the ;fir s t,pair remain closed. Similarly, when the handle is turned to the third position the cam ll closes the thirdpair'of contacts C andthe contacts of the'first two"pairs"'remain" closed. Wh'enf'the handle is returned to the ofi po'sitiorf all of the contactsare reopened. Fig. 3is' a"p'lan"view of the top'panel of the 'switchcabinet showing-all five handles of "the 'control switches. As shown in this figure there is'associatedwitheachswitch handle a stop l2 which limits the rotation of 'the'switch handle in a counterclockwise direction, and a stop l 3 which"limits" its rotation" in a "clockwisedire'ction. -Whenthe switch handle is against the 'stop I 2 the switch" is in the ofiijposition; and when it is against'the stop 13' it'is in position No. 3. Referring now to'the' wiring diagraml'shown in "Fig. 4, the main switchsm isconnected-tonne sideLI of a-powerline; or'othercu'rrenttoiirce, by connecting one contact of eachgpa'ir' of its con- =tactswiththe current source'by means bf a concuctorM. For instance; the'threelefthand con- 'tactsof "the three pairs of contacts shown in Fig. 4 may -all be electrically 'connected to the 'current' source by the-conductor It. A conductor i=5 leads from'the second contactof 'the firstj pair of contacts C a secondconductor 1-6 le'a'ds from thesecond contact of 'thesecond pairof 'cion- 'tacts C and a third conductor ll leads fromthe 'second-=contact of the thirdpair-'of"'contacts C -At each'torch control switch,"one contact-or the first pair' of contacts 'C iselectrically connected by' means of aconductor l'8 to "the conductor I'5.

similarly, at each torch control switch one contact of' the second pairof contacts'C isconne'cted 'by means of a'conductor l9 to theconductorlfi, and one contact of the'tliird pair of contacts C isconnected by means of a=conductor 2o to the conductor 11. 'The other three 'contacts' feach torch control switch are connected to conductors "H. 22 and 23, respectively, and the entire set of these 1 conductors (c'o'nstituting'the cable "6 in "Fig. 1) "-lead to a terminal boardzd locatedf at some convenient position close to the solenoid valves-of the torches. "There is also a-se'cond'ter- 'minal board-25 at this-location. -The coilof-"the solenoid valve VI ,-which'controls the supply of A acetylene or other "fuel g as to the A torch F -Tl is *connectediacross the first two te'miinals ode-t 1 terminal boards designated 1 meaning actylene for the first torch. The coil of the solenoid valve V1 which controls the supply of preheating oxygen to' t-he torch T I is connected==across the rsecond pair -of contacts 'on the terminal" boards designated I- PO, "meaning *preheati'ng oxygen "tor the -first torch, and the-coil of the'solenoid "valve --V I which controls' the supply or" cutting 1 oxygen totthe torch -=T I fi ls connected acrossithe third pair of terminals on the terminal boards designated |CO, meaning cutting oxygen for the first torch. Similarly, the coil of the solenoid valve V2 which controls the supply of acetylene 5 or other fuel-gas to the torch T2, is connected across the fourth pair of terminals on the terminallboards designated 2=A, and so on. All oftthe return conductors from thesolenoid valves are electrically connected to a common conductor 26 which is connected to the other side L2 of the power line or other current source.

It'wilibe seen from the circuit diagram of Fig. 4 that the three ipairs of contacts of each torch ".corit'rohs'witchlare connected in series with the gttaree-spiemidyaives of the corresponding torch,

and that the circuits which include the contacts ot the-""torch control switches and the solenoid .valves are connected in parallel relation across one side L2 of the power line on the one hand, in and the three conductors l5, l6 and I1 leading nonrtneeontecs of themain'control switch on "the other hand. The explanatory charts beside the switch-contactsfin "4 are simply to make 'it clear that in the'*ofiposition of each 'switch'the three pairs "of *contacts areop'n; in the-No. 1 position ofeach switch-thefirstpair ofcontacts, i.- e. F the uppermost'on'esin Fig. 4; are closedfin-position No. 2 the'*firs'tand second pairs of contacts are closed; wand in position No; 3" all 'three pairs or'contacts are closed.

"Iheoperation o'f'the control system is as fol- -lowsz If'it is desiredto use only one of the'torches, s ayith' =torch' T I the handle of the main control 3-5- --fs'witch is *rnov'ed to" No. position to 'closeall *thiee pairs of "contacts "of this switch. The "iiirhdle ofthe "torch control switch "SI is then rotated "through its-successive positions, thereby first closing' the pair of contactsc and this =w res'iilts in energ'izatiori-of the solenoid valve-VI turn-on thesiipplypf acetylene or other fuelgas to the to'rc'h "Tl then' cl'oSing the second 'pairof'coiitacts C 'resultingin energization of thesolei'r'oidvalve Vi which thereby turns on -s-"the' -supply'-pf--'preheating' "oxygen =to the torch "I-I;'-"-*andfinally" closing the'third pair-of contacts C fi=resultinginenergisation-of the solenoid "=valve VI -Wh-ich turns on the supply of cuttin g 'oxy'g'en -to the torch' I-I. It is'assumed in the syste'm illustrated that the torches 'areemployed 'for cutting' a hot work-piece and that the fuel- "gas 'wouid be "ignited-at the torch tip by the hot 'wvorkwlien the fuel gas is turned on. If cold-work-'-is=being out by the torches then-pilot flam'es m'ay be employed for igniting the fuel-gas in accordance with conventional practice. Simllarly,' the"gas'esmay be turnedon in proper *sequenceat any'desired torch 'in the gang-by -turning '--the handle "of the corresponding torch control switch "at the control station. All of the torches; 'or any desired number ofthemnnay of course 'beput in operationin' succession by Ti turning the handles of their corresponding torch control valves successively. An alternativeway tortartling cn the-gases'"to 'a sing-1e torch-at a time is to t'u'rn the' han'dle-of thetor'ch'control switch for the selected torch to its N0. 3"position *to'thrbylo'se-all of th contacts of this switch andthen 'turnthe handle of-the main control switch from its oif" position through its" other su'cces'sive positions; thereby energizing the-solenoid valves of the selected torch in the same sequence as above described. when itis 'desired to'tui-n on 'the gases'to all of the torches simultaneously, the"-'l'iamiles combination with a gang of gas torches or a'" id'pou zor of all of the torch control switches are moved to the No. 3 position to thereby close all of the contacts of all of the torch control'switches. The handle of the main control switch is then turned from its oil position through its other successive positions and this will result first in simultaneously energizing all of the solenoid valves which control the supply of acetylene to the torches, namely, solenoid valves Vl ,-V2 V3 and V4 then simultaneously energizing all of the solenoid valves'which control the supply of preheating oxygen to the torches, namely, VI V2 V3 and V4 1 and finally simultaneously energizing all of the solenoidvalveswhiclracontrol the supply of cutting oxygen to the torches, namely, solenoid valves Vl- V2 V3 and V4 Of course, instead of simultaneously starting all of the torches oi the gang in this fashion, any selected group of the torches may be simultaneously started, by first closing all of the contacts of the torch control switches 'of theselected torches, and then manipulating the main control switch as just described. The gases will not,

of course, be turned on at any torch whose corresponding torch control switch has not men previously actuated to close its contacts.

Whenever desired the gas supply to any torch can be turned oif by moving the corresponding torch control switch to o position,-and the gas supply to all of the torches can be turned off either by turning all of the torch control switches to oil position or by turning themain control switch to off position.

If desired, the torch control switches may be constructed so that their three pairsof contacts are simultaneously closed and opened instead of being closed in succession as above described, but in this case the turning on of the gases in a predetermined sequence at any-one torch can only be effected by actuating the main control switch through its successive positions after the contacts of the torch control switch of'the selected torch have been closed. Moreover, in such a system itwould not be possible to bring the torches into operation one at a time, and successively, without, uponbringing atorch. into operation, throwing the previously started torch out of operation, because after the gases are turned on successively to one torch by turning the main control switch through its successive positions, the main control switch would have to be returned to the off position before it could be turned again through its successive posi-- tions to bring the next torch into operation.

Although the gas control system has been described as applied to a gang of cutting torches, it may also be used in connection with heating or welding torches, in which case there would be only two gas lines for the torches, one for acetylene, or other fuel-gas, and one for oxygen, and each torch would then have only two solenoid valves to control the supply of the two gases to the torch. Of course, the control system as illustrated could be used for only two gases, if desired, in which case the third gas line shown in Fig. 1 would be idle, and the third --.solenoid valve of each torch would remain idle by actuating the control switches through only the No. 1 and No. 2 positions.

I claim:

a as control system forntorches, the

plurality of gas supply lines, a plurality of electro-magnetically actuated gas valves for each torch for controlling the supply of the gases from means arranged in one position to cause all of l0 -the contacts to be open and in other successive "positionsto close the pairs of contacts successively, a current source to which one contact of each pair of contacts of the main control switch is electrically connected, a conductor leading from the second contact of each pair of contac't's 'ofthe main control switch, each of said conductors being electrically connected to one contact of the corresponding pair of contacts of eachtorch control switch, the second contact 2 of each pair of contacts of each torch control switch being electrially connected to one side of one of theelectro-magneticvalve-actuating devices of the corresponding torch, and the other side of each electr c-magnetic valve-actuating device being electrically connected to said current source whereby the gas valves of any torch may be operated in a predetermined sequence from the control station or a set of corresponding gas valves of all or any selected group of the torches may be operated from the control station simul taneously and inpredetermined sequence with the other set or sets of corresponding gas valves.

2. In a gas control system for torches, the combination with a, gang of gas torches of a plurality of gas supply lines, a plurality of electip-magnetically actuated gas valves for each torch for controlling the supply of the gases from said lines to the torch, a control station, a torch control switch at the control station for each torch of the gang, a main control switch at the control station, each of the switches comprising -a plurality. of pairs, of electric contacts and. manually. operable means arranged in one position to causeall of the contacts to be open and in other successive positions to close the pairs of contacts successively, a current source to which one contact of each pair of contacts of the main control switch is electrically connected, a conductor leading from the second contact of each pairof contacts of the main control switch,

each of said conductors being electrically connected to one contact of the corresponding pair of contacts of each torch control switch, the second contact of each pair of contacts or each torch control switch being electrically connected to one side of one of the electro-magnetic valveactuating devices of the corresponding torch, and the other side of each electro-magnetic valveactuating device being electrically connected to said current source whereby the gas valves of any torch may be operated in a predetermined sequence from the control station or a set of corresponding gas valves of all or any selected group of the torches may be operated from the control station simultaneously and in predetermined sequence with the other set or sets of corresponding gas valves.

3. In a gas control system for torches, the combination with a gang of gas torches of a supply line for fuel-gas and a supply line for oxygen, electro-magnetically actuated gas valves for each torch for controlling the supply of fuel-gas and oxygen from said lines to the torch, a control station, a torch cohtrol switch at the control 76 station for each torch of the gang, 2. main control switch at the control station, each of the switches comprising a plurality of pairs of elec-v tric contacts and manually operable means arranged-in one position to cause all of the contacts to be in open position and in other successive positions to close the pairs of contacts successively, a current source to which one contact of each pair of contacts of the main control switch is electrically connected, a conductor leading from the second contact of each pair of con.- tacts of the main control switch, each of said conductors being electrically connected to one contact of the corresponding pair of contacts of each torch control switch, the second contact of the first-closed pair of contacts of each torch control switch being electrically connected to one side of the electro-magnetic device which actuates'the fuel-gas valve of the corresponding torch and the second contact of a later-closed pair of contacts of each torch control switch being electrically connected to one side of the electro-magnetic device which actuates the oxy gen valve of the corresponding torch, and the other side of .each of said electro-magnetic devices being electrically connected to said current source whereby the fuel-gas and oxygen valves of any torch may be operated successively from the control station or simultaneous operation of the fuel-gas valves and simultaneous operation of the oxygen valves of all or any selected group of the torches may be effected in succession from the control station.

4. In a gas control system for torches, the combination with a gang of gas torches of a plurality of gas supply lines, a plurality of electro-magnetically actuated gas valves for each torch for controlling the supply of the gases from said lines to the torch, a control station, torch control switch means at the control station for each torch of the gang, each torch control switch means comprising a plurality of pairs of electric contacts and manually operable means for opening and closing the same, main control switch means at the control station comprising a plurality of pairs of electric contacts and manually operable means adapted in one position to cause all of the contacts to be open and in other successive positions to close the pairs of contacts successively, a current source to one side of which one contact of each pair of contacts of the main control switch means is electrically connected and to the other side of which one side of each of the electro-magnetic valve-actuating devices is electrically connected, and conductors electrically connecting each pair of contacts of may be operated from the control station simultaneously and in predetermined sequence with the other set or sets of corresponding gas valves.

5. In a gas control system for torches, the combination with a gang of gas torches of a plurality of gas supply lines, a plurality of electro-magnetically actuated gas valves for each torch for controlling the supply of the gases from said lines to the torch, a control station, torch control switch means at the control station for each torch of the gang. main control switch means at the control station, each of said switch means comprising a plurality of pairs of electric contacts and manually operable means adapted in one position to cause all of the contacts to be open and in other successive positions to close the pairs of contacts successively, a current source to one side of which one contact of each pair of contacts of the main control switch means is electrically connected and to the other side of which one side of each of the electro-magnetic valveactuating devices is electrically connected, and conductors electrically connecting each pair of contacts of the main control switch means in series with the corresponding pair of contacts of the torch control switch means and in series with one or said electroqmagnetic valve-actuating devices whereby the gas valves of any torch may be operated in a predetermined sequence from the control station or a set of corresponding gas valves of all or any selected group of the torches may be operated from the control station simultaneously and in predetermined sequence with the other set or sets of corresponding gas valves.

WALTER BEGERO-W.

REFERENCES or'rEn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

NI ED STATES PATENTS 

